Murdoch's money man for the Net

FrankBarnako

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- You can bet that Jeremy Philips's telephone will be ringing a lot today. Some callers will be congratulating the 33-year-old former McKinsey & Co. consultant on his promotion to oversee Internet strategy at News Corp. as executive vice president.

Others will be inquiring as to his interest in buying them, because that's Phillips' new brief from chairman Rupert Murdoch. While buying MySpace.com and IGN Entertainment last year, Murdoch said he thought about $2 billion would be sufficient to position News Corp.'s
NWS, -0.59%
in the business. So far, he's spent "only" $1 billion. Phillips' task, it would appear, is to spend the other.

UK company plans 9-city UK Wi-Fi net

Wireless Internet access is rapidly growing in Europe, with BT Group
BT, -0.56%
and the Cloud announcing plans to blanket Wi-Fi coverage throughout London, Manchester, Cambridge and six other cities. About 500 pay telephones will be outfitted with equipment to make broadband access available, and the companies will share revenues. Currently, the Cloud offers Wi-Fi service by installing equipment in cafes and pubs.

In Scotland, an effort is underway to use what are called "smart streetlamps" to provide wireless Internet access. The BBC reported six solar-powered, Internet-capable lights will be installed on a rooftop of a Dundee university as a test. As many as 4,000 more may be installed in a student village at the school. The streetlamps would provide light, thanks to solar energy, and also transmit wireless connectivity. The company involved, Compliance Technology, said the idea has "massive potential" for local authorities which could turn their lighting systems into wireless services. "The new photovoltaic technology which will be showcased in Dundee will mean that no local community needs to be without reliable, economic street lighting, with the added benefit of Wi-Fi technology outside their front doors."

World Economic Forum plans podcasts

What do you call 2,000 bloggers meeting in Davos, Switzerland later this month? The World Economic Forum annual meeting's attendees. Each business and political leader at the five day meeting will be asked to join the Forum's blog (www.forumblog.org) and make at least one posting. About two dozen of the Forum's sessions will be Webcast live, and for the first time podcasts of a dozen key events will be made available for downloading. "By broadcasting, Web casting, podcasting and encouraging blogging by all participants, we hope to share the spirit of Davos with as many people as possible," said Mark Adams, director of communications.

Online tax services ready

TaxBrain and Intuit Inc.'s
INTU, -1.62%
TurboTax Online are ready and willing to help you prepare your 2005 taxes, even though the Internal Revenue Service will not accept electronically-filed returns for more than a week. H&R Block
HRB, -1.18%
expects to have its TaxCut service online later this week. "Roughly 13 million American taxpayers filed their returns over the Internet last year and the industry is looking forward to another year of double-digit growth," said Todd Taylor, director of affiliate marketing for Petz Enterprises, the operator of TaxBrain. The IRS is offering no-charge online return preparation for taxpayers with an adjusted gross income of $50,000 or less. The tax return services charge fees.

The MarketWatch Internet Daily podcast is available through the Apple iTunes Music Store. Listen or subscribe here. You can also hear it on the CBS Radio network stations.

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